Washing apparatus



May 5, 1931. E. DAvls WASHING APPARATUS Filed April '7. 192? 2 Sheets Sheet l "NVAQvb v4,

ADRNEYS 2 Shouts-Sheet 2 ATTOR N EY5 Patented May 5, 1931 UNITED STATES ERNEST DAVIS, OIE' SYR-.ACUSE, NEW YORK,

ASSIGNOR TO THE PROSPERITY COMPANY INC., OF SYRACUSE, NEW YORK, A. CORPORATION OF NEW YORK WASHING APPARATUS Application led April 7, 1927. Serial No. 181,869.

rIhis invention has for its object a washing apparatus particularly applicable for commercial laundries, by which clothes receptacles containing the clothes to be washed are moved successively from one operation to another without handling or loading and unloading the clothes whereby the washing operation is continuous.

The invention consists in thenovel features l and in the combinations and constructions hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In describing this invention reference is had to t-he accompanying drawings in which like characters represent corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of this washing apparatus.

Figure 2 is an end elevation looking to the right in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an enlarged end elevation showing the operating means for the carrier.V

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary elevation of the vat carrier and contiguous parts.

Figure 5 is an enlarged sectional view through one of the clothes receptacles and contiguous parts of the carrier.

Figure 6 is an enlarged sectional view through one of the washing vats.

This washing apparatus comprises generally a series of washing vats, a series ot' n clothes receptacles, and means for effect-ing relative movement of the series to bring the clothes receptacles into and out of the vats. More specifically it comprises a series of washing vats or vats having some form of washing machine mechanism associated therewith, an endless series of clothes receptacles or baskets movable to bring the receptacles into juXta position to the washing vats, and one series being movable toward and Jfrom the other to bring the receptacles into and out of the vats.

In the illustrated embodiment of my invention the series oi' washing vats are movable vertically toward and from the clothes receptacles or baskets in line therewith.

1 designates the series ot vats mounted upon a vertically movable carrier 2, each vat having a washing mechanism as 3 (Figs. 4 and 6) associated therewith. The vats are practically unobstructed on their interior and have their tops open. The washing machine mechanism acts primarily to circulate the washing iluid and the clothes, and torce the fluid through the clothes. The washing machine mechanism may be of any suitable type and is usually of the type shown in Cowles Patents No. 1,545,081, dated July 7, l1925, and No. 1,545,082, dated July 7, 1925.

4 designates the clothes receptacles, which are arranged in a series `to move successively into alignment with the vats l. rlhese clothes receptacles 4 are supported by a suitable endless carrier consisting of tracks 5 and an endless belt for moving the receptacles 4 along the track.

As here shown the baskets or clothes receptacles 4 are provided with trucks or wheels 6 movable along the track 5, which is in the form of inwardly or oppositely facing'channels, as shown in Figure 5.

A belt or cable carrier 7 runs over pulleys or sprockets 8 and 9 at opposite ends of the track, one of the pulleys being connected to driving means. The carrier 7 is arranged so that the receptacles move in upper and lower runs whereby the clothes can be loaded into the receptacle while they are on the upper run, and the receptacles are in line with the washing vats when they are in the lower run. Each receptacle 4 is formed with an arm 10, which is connected to the cable in any suitable manner as by a screw 11, and the pulleys are formed with notches 12 for receiving the ends of the arms 10. The baskets or clothes receptacles 4 are also formed with openings 13 in the walls thereof arranged to come into alignment with the inlet and outlet jets ot the washing machine mechanism 3. Also each clothes receptacle 4 is formed with a dumping door 14, which is on the top side thereof when the receptacles move along the upper run of the carrier, and on the bottom side when the receptacles move to the lower run oit' the carrier. These dumping doors are preferably hinged at one edge and so arranged that they swing open as the receptacles move around the pulley 9 from` the lower run to the upper run of the carrier.

2Jfrom "the recepttulesv after t-hey have passed through the various washing '\-'-ats,\t-h'e clothes being dumped from the receptacles 4 onthe lower run of the carrier by unlatching 'the doors 1s' when the receptacles come opposite the extractor or extraotors 1G.

18g-,and 'formed with rack lteeth-19. .'These rack bars 17 are Operated byfshaftst) having pinions-2l at their ends?meshing`-withV the racks`,'thesha'fts QOvbeingdriven from `any suitable source of powerthrough differential ygearing 22.

' The-:pulley 8 is actuated,:to Adrive'the-'car-V Vrierr belt 7, from ashatt 23 which i's-.conn'ected to:any-suitablesource ofl powerrand has a worm 24 thereon 'meshing` with af 'worm/g lgear Qfmo-,unted' on.I a shaft-26 supported by anysuitable frame work. The '-shatt'QGfliasia which the-pulley 9 is mounted,-are-supported in any suitable frame-work..

f intermittent 1 operationo being i controlled n in the-rshattsQO is controlled-in' any suitable g' manner. The-controlt-hereot*forms no part twelve-,washing vats 'into \vlii'ch"eacli'-clothes receptacle f-.is'moved consecutively, rvalthough lower runs extending/in horizon-taldirections; the receptaclesfbeingmovablealongathe-track of this invention, *andl it is :only-necessary'for- :an uneerstand-rngwof Ythis invention cto bear .inmind that lthe cabley 7, and the carrier E2 are ope-rated intermittently ati-he will ot the operator.

'iAsiwil-l :be'und'erstood by those skilled inthe fone of Asaid `series-toward, -and ffrornthe lfother -to' bring-thereceptacles into and-fout yof the ected'to-several different washing-operationsor :'-;waslied 'indifferent" washing; fluids, and

inthemac'hine herezfjillustrated there are some of the `va-ts.'m'ay-fconta'in thefsame kind otwashing fluid.

- 'In fioperationthe 'clothes Iare"loaded-into f Vthereceptacles twhile-thereceptacles are on the upper-.runot th'efcarrier, and-afterbei-ng loaded 'i-ngithe"dumpingfdoors flat areY closed y,

and'latched. '"The-carrier 7 is then Started and moved `one 'step when another-empty .re-

ceptacle' which'ha'szbeen vbrought to the upper lriunfofthe kcarrier by such'niovement ofthe .carrieruis loaded andthe carrier actuated another step. Eventually the first loaded receptacle comes opposite the first vat of the series of vats 1, and when opposite or in alignment with the same, the carrier 2 operated to bring the receptacles on the lower runof lthe carrier into the vats,where the -washingjr operati-on 'isi-performed. During oncestarted',- it isc'ontinuous and a minimum .Y The-carrier' 2 tor'the washing -vat is-raised and lowered by any suitable power opera-ted ack mechanism.,@Ashere shown theoarrier. (--is provided with:depending'rack-bars 17 eX- f tending` through suitable guides or-pedestals containsthe Yclothes of -more-thanone customer.4 Howe-ver, the `c-lassiication and the identitication ot:t-heclothesfformnovpart of this invent-ion.

i 'lVh'at- I claim'is '1. -A wash-ingaapparatus comprising a: series ot washing vats, a seriesf-of-clothesfrei -ceptacleman-endless carrier, arranged so that opposite runs thereoil extend horizontally, the rece'p'tac'les being.- c'on-nectedi-to-the-Ecarrier to move into and out ot--ali-gnment-with `the wats;v and incansfor-- movi-ng one series" tow-ard and `from the other lw-hen thev -recepyftacles-iarein linejwiththe washing .vate fand The :cable 7 is intermittently 'operated'-7 the i thereby--bringi-ngthereceptacles into land out of the vats.

12. A.- washingaapparatus comprising'- a sertracl having )upper and lower -ru-nsfextending in horizontal-directions, Qthe--receptac-les- -befing movable; along"- thetrack- -in'to and out of' 4aligni-nent with theseries of vate-,and an endyless 'belt connected tothe-.receptacles to "move them 'along the track, and- -means for nfrovingjr vat. f

.8. 'A' washing:iapparatusfcmnprising a yse- `ries ofwashing-vats, a'-series-offelothesreceptacles, an- Iendless Aitrack: f having: f upper and below :the lower run 'ofthe-track, andmeans for moving-thevat 'carrier-toward-'and from the lower run-ofthe track-to -bring Kthe receptacles' on such lower run into 'and-,out ot Athe Washing Vats.

4. A Washing apparatus comprising a series of Washing vats having Washing machine mechanism connected thereto, a carrier for the vats, a series of clothes receptacles, a caru rier for the receptacles having,r different loading and Washing' levels and movable to carry the clothes receptacles from one level to ,the

other, the carrier for the vats being movable toward and from the Washing level of the carl() rier for the receptacles to bring the recepu tacles into and out of thel vats.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name, at Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga, and in the State of New York,

15 this 12th clay of March, 1927.

ERNEST DAVIS. 

